Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a highly variable experience in Hitman 2, where the CPU proves capable of pushing very high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck as resolution increases. The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p, the combo achieves a 225.5 FPS average on Low settings, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 34.5 FPS. This 84.7% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra highlights that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and Ampere architecture are the limiting factors in this title at higher graphical loads.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 225.5 at 1920x1080 to 146.7 at 2560x1440, a 35% reduction, and then further to 76.5 at 3840x2160, a 48% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the Ryzen 5 7500F’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient to feed the RTX 3080 at these frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 225.5 FPS average shows significant headroom, suggesting the CPU is not maxed out, but the 4K Low result of 76.5 FPS reveals the GPU’s pixel-pushing limits.

For High settings, the trend continues: 128 FPS at 1080p, 80.6 FPS at 1440p, and 42.4 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is just above the 40 FPS mark, which is playable but not ideal for a stealth game requiring smooth camera panning. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 4K Ultra yielding only 34.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most players expect. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates even at Ultra settings. At 4K, users must drop to Low or Medium settings to achieve playable performance, with Medium at 59.8 FPS being the only 4K setting that approaches 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot, where High settings deliver an 80.6 FPS average and Low settings reach 146.7 FPS. This resolution balances visual fidelity with performance, avoiding the steep 4K penalties while providing a clearer image than 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The combo achieves a 76.5 FPS average at 4K Low and a 59.8 FPS average at 4K Medium. High and Ultra settings at 4K drop to 42.4 FPS and 34.5 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU affect frame rates at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 225.5 FPS, indicating the Ryzen 5 7500F with its 5.00 GHz boost clock and 32 MB of shared L3 cache is not a bottleneck. The 3DMark single-thread score of 974 supports this, showing strong per-core performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings?

A: At 1440p, Medium averages 108.8 FPS while High averages 80.6 FPS, a 28.2 FPS difference. At 1080p, the gap is larger: Medium at 168.5 FPS versus High at 128 FPS, a 40.5 FPS difference. The gap narrows at 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2?

A: The measured data shows playable results at all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 34.5 FPS suggests the GPU is struggling with memory bandwidth (760.3 GB/s) and shading complexity, not necessarily capacity. The 10 GB capacity is adequate for this 2018 title.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 581 out of 1795 total combinations tested, placing it in the 67th percentile of all tested combos. This is a strong showing, but not top-tier, reflecting the RTX 3080’s end-of-life status.

GPU Role

The RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, is clearly the dominant factor in this game’s performance. The GPU’s 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units work to render Hitman 2’s detailed environments, but the data shows the GPU’s limits at higher resolutions. The base clock of 1440 MHz and boost clock of 1710 MHz are respectable, yet the 4K results indicate that the GPU’s 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough to maintain high frame rates with Ultra settings. The pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are put to the test at 4K, where the 42.4 FPS High result and 34.5 FPS Ultra result demonstrate the GPU’s struggle to fill pixels and sample textures at that resolution.

Interestingly, the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s is substantial, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests that the GPU’s compute throughput is the limiting factor rather than memory bandwidth. The 4K Low result of 76.5 FPS, which reduces texture and effect loads, still shows a significant drop from 1080p Low’s 225.5 FPS. This indicates that even with reduced settings, the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms the GPU’s ROPs (96) and shader cores. The RTX 3080’s position in the market is reflected in its 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs, but in this specific game, the data shows it as a capable 1440p performer and a marginal 4K option.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 2560x1440 with High settings. This combination yields an 80.6 FPS average, which is smooth and visually detailed. Raising to Ultra at 1440p drops the average to 58.5 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices 22.1 FPS for marginal visual gains. At 1080p, High settings at 128 FPS is the optimal choice, as Ultra at 95.6 FPS offers no meaningful improvement for a 32.4 FPS loss. For players prioritizing maximum fidelity, 1080p Ultra at 95.6 FPS is the highest quality option that remains above 60 FPS.

At 4K, the recommendation is Medium settings, which delivers 59.8 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that approaches the 60 FPS target. Low settings at 4K provide 76.5 FPS but sacrifice too much visual quality for a stealth game where spotting enemies in shadows is crucial. High at 4K (42.4 FPS) and Ultra at 4K (34.5 FPS) are not recommended due to sub-60 FPS averages that can cause motion judder. The overall best experience, balancing visual fidelity and performance, is 1440p High, which uses the RTX 3080’s strengths without exceeding its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 7500F and RTX 3080 ranks 581 out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all configurations. This ranking is influenced by the GPU’s 80th percentile standing and the CPU’s 82nd percentile standing among their respective categories. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11850H, has a 0.1% higher average benchmark score, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is 0.3% lower. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro Duo, is 0.2% higher in average score, with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE 0.9% higher. These tight margins suggest the combo is well-matched to its peers.

In Hitman 2 specifically, the 581st rank out of 1795 means there are 1214 combos that perform worse and 580 that perform better. This is a solid mid-upper tier result. The data shows the combo is not a top performer, as the RTX 3080 is an end-of-life product, but it remains highly relevant for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (974 in 3DMark single-thread) and the GPU’s high compute throughput (29.77 TFLOPS). For a 2018 game like Hitman 2, this combo is more than adequate, but the 4K results pull the overall ranking down from what the 1080p and 1440p numbers alone would suggest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce a 225.5 FPS average, Medium settings drop to 168.5 FPS, High settings reach 128 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 95.6 FPS. All 1080p settings exceed 60 FPS, with even Ultra maintaining a 95.6 FPS average. This resolution is clearly where the combo shines, as the CPU and GPU work in harmony to produce high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 146.7 FPS for Low, 108.8 FPS for Medium, 80.6 FPS for High, and 58.5 FPS for Ultra. The Ultra setting is the only one that falls below 60 FPS, but it is close. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: roughly a 35% reduction across all settings, which is expected as pixel count increases by 77%. At 3840x2160, the averages are 76.5 FPS for Low, 59.8 FPS for Medium, 42.4 FPS for High, and 34.5 FPS for Ultra. The 4K results show a clear pattern of diminishing returns, with Low settings being the only option that stays above 60 FPS. The difference between 1440p and 4K is steeper, with a 48-50% drop across settings, indicating the GPU is overwhelmed by the 4K pixel count.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting role in this combo. The CPU’s base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is critical for Hitman 2’s game logic and AI. The 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3218 confirm this strength. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC ensure efficient data handling, and the 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth with DDR5 support prevents memory bottlenecks.

The benchmark results show the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. At 1080p Low, the 225.5 FPS average reflects the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU quickly. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 6376 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 indicate robust multi-threaded performance, but Hitman 2 does not heavily utilize more than a few cores, as evidenced by the relatively small drop from 1080p to 1440p. The CPU’s 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs and its close rivalry with the Intel Core i7-11850H (0.1% difference) show it is a competitive mid-range processor. However, in this game, the CPU’s role is to maintain high minimum frame rates and prevent stutters, which it does admirably, allowing the RTX 3080 to be the sole determinant of performance at higher resolutions.